The Saab production line in Trollhattan was restarted last week--to build two cars. The company, now with Japanese and Chinese owners, wants to scale the heights again, but its best bet is in forgetting about gas cars and plugging in to become a European electric carmaker.

Turbocharging isn't about raw power anymore. It's an arrow in the automaker's quiver to reach 54.5 mpg by 2025, along with variable valve timing, cylinder deactivation, lightweighting and hybridization.